Y and Z pass by 3-to-1 margin

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Amendments Y and Z, which propose to establish a new process for congressional and state legislative redistricting, have earned the overwhelming support of Colorado voters.

In early results, the amendments were passing by a three-to-one margin with 71 percent of statewide voters casting their ballots in favor of Y and Z, which had garnered wide bipartisan support.

Currently, state legislative districts are overseen by a commission that includes four legislative leaders, three people appointed by the governor and four people appointed by the chief justice of the Colorado Supreme Court.

Amendments Y and Z would change that system to create a commission made up of four Republicans, four Democrats and four unaffiliated members, with half chosen by lottery and half chosen by a panel of retired judges.

The overarching goal of Amendments Y and Z, according to proponents, is to limit the role of partisan politics in the redistricting process by transferring the task to an independent commission and creating a stronger check and balance system.

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